


You Can't Bury Something That Isn't Dead (Yes You Can)

by Bryellii



Category: South Park
Genre: AU, Angst, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Violence, headcanon-based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:27:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bryellii/pseuds/Bryellii
Summary: "You just don't understand," Craig said, twirling the cigarette between his fingers, "Nobody does." Kyle shot the other a sharp glare, leaning back against the brick wall of what used to be City Hall."Then what would you know?""More than you, that's for sure. Your friend may have been taken away, but at least he isn't the enemy."The sentence struck Kyle harder than it should have. He knew exactly what Craig was referring to, and it made him feel guilty for trying to prove the other wrong."I'm sorry.""Sorry isn't going to make them stop hunting us."





	1. We Were Born In The Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, hi! While my other story "You're Awful, I Love You" is on a short hiatus, I have decided to start a new one!
> 
> This fic will be almost entirely headcanon-based, and is an AU that I have been thinking of writing for a good while now.
> 
> Firstly, the story will be taking place in a war-torn era in which there are two sides; one dark, the other light (how cliche can that get?). Certain characters and relationships will not come until much later, but I can guarantee you from the start that this will include heavy Kyman and some Creek.
> 
> I won't be giving out any more details, but this story will also include heavy violence and a few sexual encounters. Read on with caution.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Somewhat based off of Mt. Washington by Local Natives~~

When they were all much younger, nobody knew what they should have expected. They were kids then, completely oblivious to the world outside of South Park.

But there was one in particular who knew what was happening.

His name was Kyle Broflovski.

At the age of fifteen, the boy had lost his best friend to the Other Side. He couldn’t do anything, because a boy of fifteen was weak, helpless. The only thing he could do was to run home and try to get one of the parents to try and help him.

Nobody did.

And over the years, his heart had gone cold. Nothing was right, and he knew that it was his fault for letting Stan get taken away. He could’ve at least tried to fight back, to beg them to take him instead of his best friend.

The more he thought on it, the more he realized that he was just selfish back then.

Age nineteen-going-on-twenty and he was already colder than the Other Side’s leader himself.

Of course, that could be argued.

It was the day that a boy and his mother had moved into the small mountain town, occupying the empty house just down the street. Kyle, age sixteen at the time, tried his best to avoid the place, as rumours were being spread about how they had come from the Other Side as spies.

His mother, however, welcomed the two with open arms, much to his dismay.

One night, they all sat in the living room, waiting for dinner to be ready, when Kyle had heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it, he found their new neighbours standing there. He looked at the two quizzically, only stepping away when his mother had said that the two were here for dinner.

And when they had all taken their places at the table, Kyle took it upon himself to try and get answers from Eric, as he had learned was the boy’s name. However, he brushed off the questions as if they meant nothing to him. Which, as a matter of fact, they didn’t. He had his own mother explain that they had moved here from Denver to try and get away from the Other Side. With each passing day, they grew closer and closer, and it wouldn’t be long before they would have to move again.

The duo had only come here because Eric’s father told them to, and that he would be here soon enough to rejoin them.

He never did.

And now as Kyle stares out at the darkening sky outside, he realized that he should have seen the signs. Cartman’s mom only told the boy that because hope was something that everyone needed to try and keep.

The Other Side was moving closer and closer, and many of the townsfolk had already given up. Corpses littered the streets, their blood staining the sidewalks underneath them. It was rare to find someone who still held a bright glimmer in their eyes, rare to find someone who held a positive outlook on the whole ordeal.

His phone buzzed, causing him to lazily glance down and see who it was now.

 

_[Tuck &Roll]: meet me @ town square in 5_

 

Kyle would have declined, but hearing the gunshots echoing outside, he knew that he shouldn’t just abandon his ‘friend’ now. Besides, the guy only messaged him when something important was happening.

So, he hooked up his vest, threw on his coat, and tied his shoes, proceeding out the door quickly as to make sure the other wouldn’t get shot down. Town square had always been the most dangerous part of South Park, as it was a wide open space.

He walked quickly and carefully through the streets, easily navigating his way through the rubble. And there he saw him, propped up against the bricks with a shotgun in his hand.

Upon seeing Kyle, he waved him over, still watching around the corner just in case.

“What is it, Tucker?” Kyle asked once he was close enough, then took shelter beside him. “News from Tweek about the Others,” the noirette responded, green eyes shifting to meet Kyle’s, then back to where he was looking earlier.

“He says they’re getting closer at a much faster pace than before. Denver’s crawling with them,” Craig says, taking a drag from the cigarette that Kyle just now noticed.

“No, there’s no way. That’s impossible!” Kyle says. He’s done all the calculations, and he knew that the O.S. could not have gotten to Denver so quickly.

Craig pauses a moment, watching the battlefield with great interest. “You know,” he suddenly says, “Tweek thought he saw Stan the other day. He said it was strange, because the guy shot down some stray dog in the alleyway. Said he kinda looked like Sparky.”

Kyle furrowed his brows. There was no way that Stan would’ve hurt an animal. He just wasn’t the kind of guy to do something like that.

“No, that’s not Stan,” he said, taking a step towards Craig, who took another glance at the redhead.

“Maybe it wasn’t him. But Tweek swore that he saw those sad blue eyes of his in a sea of blood.” Kyle couldn’t help but glare at Craig for that. Of course Craig would believe anything that Tweek said. But Kyle knew better than that. He knew that Tweek sometimes saw things that weren’t really there. Craig was far too in love with the boy to even realize that.

“He’s wrong. Stan is dead. The O.S. took him and executed him. You saw the video,” Kyle reminded him, “Besides, Stan loved animals more than he loved Wendy.”

Craig only hummed in response, taking another drag from the cancer stick. Silence fell between them, and at last, Craig dropped his guard. Nobody followed Kyle, and he was certain that everyone else had retired back to their homes. Curfew would be arriving in less than an hour, anyways, and he knew that nobody really wanted to be shot. It was strange, he thought, that people had given up, but still didn’t want to die.

“You know, it could have been fake. The video, I mean. People do that shit all the time, probably trying to just get a rise out of someone,” Craig said after a few moments, “Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. Remember what happened with Butters and Kenny? The O.S. paid some douchebag to fake everything.”

Kyle sent another glare his way. “But I saw Stan get dragged off, I watched them haul him into their truck. That was four years ago. There’s no way he’s still alive.”

"You just don't understand," Craig said, twirling the cigarette between his fingers, "Nobody does." Kyle shot the other a sharp glare, leaning back against the brick wall of what used to be City Hall.

"Then what would you know?"

"More than you, that's for sure. Your friend may have been taken away, but at least he isn't the enemy."

The sentence struck Kyle harder than it should have. He knew exactly what Craig was referring to, and it made him feel guilty for trying to prove the other wrong.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to make them stop hunting us."

Craig was right, Kyle thought. He’s always been right. But Stan wouldn’t have joined the O.S. He’d rather die than be pitted against his family and friends. Craig could go on and on about this bullshit, but it wasn’t going to faze him. Not even in the slightest.

“C’mon,” Craig said, “let’s go before someone spots us.”

He dropped the cigarette on the ground, putting it out with his foot, then pulled his shotgun back up to his chest, motioning for Kyle to follow.

When they had finally reached the Tweak residence, Craig didn’t go right up to the front door and knock, prompting for the backdoor instead. If anyone knew Tweek, it was definitely Craig. Kyle had forgotten about the porch being littered with traps of all kinds. One step up there and you would have your head blown clean off.

A control panel was hooked up to the backdoor, a lockpin being necessary to open it up. Kyle waited patiently as Craig typed in the password, which was probably the longest and most complex he’s ever heard of, and watched the door swing wide open.

The two stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind them again, locking. Craig guided Kyle to the second level, to Tweek’s room. He knocked once, twice, then the door opened, revealing the jittery blond, along with Cartman.

Kyle narrowed his eyes, “What the hell is he doing here?” Tweek jumped a bit at Kyle’s tone, blue-yellow eyes flickering from the redhead to the male standing beside him. “It’s not what you think, man! We were-- we were just, ngh, planning! For when the O.S. get here!” Tweek blurted out, receiving a nod from Cartman.

“Yeah. They’re in Denver, and I’d rather not have my ass kicked by a bunch of cocksucking fags,” Cartman stated with a roll of his eyes. Craig’s eyes moved from Tweek to Cartman in a second, green eyes piercing holes in his skull.

“Oh, right. Sorry, Tucker, didn’t realize you’re still upset about your fuckbuddy leaving you to lick some other guy’s balls,” the brunette said with a slight smirk. Kyle placed a hand on Craig’s shoulder, looking to Tweek for assistance. The blond eventually stepped forward, his hand clasping Craig’s, and led him back downstairs.

“Dude,” Kyle said, clearly annoyed, “what the fuck? You know Craig is sensitive about that topic.” Cartman only shrugged, turning away from Kyle.

“Aren’t you worried? The O.S. is going to be here sooner than we thought. Something happened, and we don’t know what. For all we know, they probably managed to upgrade their systems or weaponry,” Kyle tried to tell him, but Cartman clearly wasn’t listening. Or, at least he thought he wasn’t.

“Or they hired someone,” Cartman muttered, staring at the boarded up windows. “The O.S. has outside sources planted all over the place. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tweek is in on all of this. He seems to know the most, you know.”

“Tweek could just be keeping up with everything he’s hearing from the others,” Kyle interjected.

“That doesn’t mean jackshit and you know it. Everyone is talking, and most of the shit they say is false.”

“But a majority of it is true. For one thing, they were right about the Mayor abandoning her post and shooting herself up in her office.”

Cartman grew silent again, brown and blue eyes meeting with green as he turned around to face Kyle once more. They held a silent staring contest, confirming the same thing. Someone must have been leaking information, as City Hall was locked up tight. Nobody was ever allowed in or out, no matter the circumstance. The only person who could have possibly known that the Mayor had done such a thing was fairly close to them, and had managed to survive his only encounter with the O.S.

Kenny McCormick.


	2. Of The Dead And The Wicked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll hopefully be having a more regular update schedule since I have a majority of the story typed up now
> 
> I'm not entirely sure how many chapters this will be, as there are a lot of plot points that I want to get to
> 
> Also, the previous chapter was deleted and created as a one-shot. It was a filler, and can now be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161815)

Kyle and Cartman had met up at the end of the street, just as promised. It was the crack of dawn now, the sun finally peeking out from the other side of the mountain. As per usual, the streets were empty. Well, aside from the occasional corpse, but nonetheless void of any life.

They stayed silent as they walked towards the train tracks, which had been long abandoned. Thinking back on it, Kyle can’t seem to remember the last time a train had passed through the town. Perhaps he was too young to remember? It was a possibility. While stepping over the metal tracks, he couldn’t help but notice the overgrown shrubbery that claimed the land. It was a sign that the railroad had not been used in a long time, bringing Kyle back to the thought of him being far too little to remember the train.

Cartman elbowed him in the stomach, bringing Kyle out of his thoughts. They were here. He took a nervous glance from Cartman, to the door. Here goes nothing.

A few steps forward and Kyle is knocking on the door. There’s no answer, and Cartman is getting rather impatient with just standing around, waiting for someone who isn’t going to show. The brunette motions for Kyle to follow him, and he leads the Jew to the back of the house. It takes a few seconds to determine which window is Kenny’s, but Cartman decides on the one at the far left and enters the shack. Kyle reluctantly follows.

The first thing they notice is that Kenny had rearranged his bedroom, the mattress usually located under the window having being moved to the opposite side of the room and his old toybox now sitting in the mattress’ original spot. Talk about an unpleasant landing.

Just like the outside world, Kenny’s room seems completely lifeless, as if nobody had been here for years. Kyle turns to face Cartman, folding his arms.

“What now?” He dares to ask, half-hoping the fatass has some sort of backup plan. The other only shrugs. “I dunno. I thought he’d be here,” he mutters in response, frowning. Huh, he really is a dumbfuck.

A hand suddenly slams down on their shoulders, causing both to shriek and draw their guns, turning around faster than the speed of light.

Kenny fucking McCormick stood there, wearing the biggest shit-eating grin they’ve ever seen. Of course the guy would pull an act like that. Kyle is red in the face, and Cartman looks like he just had a heart attack. Both of them were glaring harshly at the blond, slowly putting away their weapons.

“Fuck. You.” Kyle spits out, clearly not finding this as funny as Kenny does.

The blond smirked in return. “Didn’t know you swung that way, Kyle. But I’d never turn down an offer from you,” he cooed, puckering his lips a little. Kyle rolled his eyes at the implication, not in the mood to deal with Kenny’s flirting right now.

“Right, right. Sorry, didn’t mean to try and take Eric’s job,” the blond snickers. “It’s not even like that!” Kyle retorts, face getting redder than his hair. “Then who’s job is it to take care of you?” Kenny can’t help but ask.

“Nobody! Shut up!”

“Oh! No, I got you, dude. I know it’s--” Kenny pauses, frowning a little when he realized who’s name he was about to say. It made him feel guilty for even thinking it was a possibility. He couldn’t tease Kyle about Stan. No, that’s way too cruel. “Ah, Craig, yeah? Honestly, the guy needs to fuck off. Seriously, it’s like everyone’s riding his dick nowadays,” he says instead, which causes Cartman to chuckle.

“Dude, Kenny, no. He’s a total fag for that Stan guy,” the brunette says, snickering. The glare that Kyle shot him couldn’t have been any deadlier, and the metal barrel now taking over his line of vision couldn’t have been any shiner.

“Say that again and I swear to God I will pull the fucking trigger,” the redhead growls out. Cartman backed off, deciding he’d rather not be shot down in a poor man’s home. He’d rather go out trying to execute the leader of the O.S. himself. That way he could be known as a hero to mankind, and so he’d at least be acknowledged instead of Kyle.

Kenny places his hands over Kyle’s in a flash, slowly making him lower the gun to the ground. Kyle is fuming at this point, heavily breathing out of his nose as he imagines himself actually making a bullet go through Cartman’s skull. Actually, make that a few bullets. One taking him out, the rest going through his lifeless body.

Cartman actually has enough decency to keep quiet, eyes wide while Kyle gives him such a hateful look. Kenny’s murmuring something to the Jew that he can’t quite hear, but it appears to be calming him down quite a bit.

Okay, no more bringing up Stan. Got it.

After everything has finally managed to calm down, Kyle decides to finally speak up. “Kenny,” he starts, “who are you for, again?”

Kenny seems taken back, confused as to why Kyle would suddenly ask him such a thing. Had he done something wrong? Were they just seeing how loyal he was to the Mutiny?

“I’m with you guys,” Kenny replied, “You know I’d never be against you.”

“Then how did you know about the mayor?”

Fuck, Kenny thought. He knew they’d bring this up eventually. It’s not as if he knew about the information leak, but he’s heard the rumours going around and he’d most definitely be a suspect.

“Because I was there,” he began, “They called me in last minute. Well, not me, but Mysterion… you know how it goes.”

“...and you just watched her kill herself?”

“In hindsight, yeah,” Kenny responded, “But it was more of a ‘hey mayor, you’re not doing so good on protecting your people, maybe you should take a break’ kind of way. She completely freaked out. Turns out her entire room was bugged, and she wanted the O.S. to know that even she gave up.” A pause. “Well, something like that, anyways.”

But that answer didn’t sit right with Kyle. “But the leak--” Kyle began to say, but Kenny held a finger up to silence him. “Dude, like I said before. The office was bugged. The O.S. most likely overheard us. Besides, we didn’t know it was there until the mayor’s bodyguard eyed it when I walked in,” Kenny explained.

“...right,” Kyle responded, still not fully convinced.

Cartman rolled his eyes, “Kenny you’re still responsible, ya know. The office was bugged, you spilled information. Accident or not, you’re gonna be getting us all killed. Kyle’s just too much of a pussy to want to admit the truth.”

A laugh came from Kenny, but it was more forced than it was genuine.

“Yeah, whatever guys. It wasn’t me who spilled anything. If anything you should be asking Token. Well, if ya manage to find him,” he said, picking up a smoke from his bed and lighting it.

“Token is dead,” Kyle countered, recalling a conversation he had with Craig a few weeks back. It was when they first heard news about the mayor.

“And who the fuck told you that?”

“Craig.”

“Fuckin’ figures.”

Kenny took a drag, blowing the smoke out of his nose. “That Goddamn idiot doesn’t know jackshit about anything. Token ain’t dead. Tucker’s just refusing to give you any info since they were friends back in grade school.”

“You think Craig’s in on something?” The redhead inquired.

“Yeah, dude. He’s still set on finding Clyde. Doesn’t wanna kill the guy after all the shit he did. I wouldn’t be surprised if he joined up with him. Well, if the guy doesn’t decide to kill him first.”

“Craig doesn’t want to kill that sonofabitch?!” Cartman interjected, brows furrowed in both confusion and anger.

Kenny shook his head. “Nope. He’s so hung up on Clyde that I’m surprised you guys haven’t even noticed. Seriously. He’s super defensive about his friends, and I’m pretty sure that he’s hiding something from you guys.”

The other two shared a look, before turning their gazes back towards the blond. Of course he was closer to Tucker than either of them. They smoke together, not to mention that Kenny is basically Tweek’s best friend. Kyle wanted answers and warnings before he and Cartman blindly walk in to face the noriette.

“We will. But first, tell us everything you know about Craig.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be longer, but it was cut down to transition better into chapter three.
> 
> I have a perfectly good reason as to why Clyde is the main villain in this story. I'll most likely either create a new story to explain why, or I may just add it into a future chapter
> 
> And even though it seems like this story is going to be focused around Kyle/Cartman, it's not going to be. I'm trying to fit in as much information as I can since the overall setup of this fic is kind of confusing
> 
> After all, Clyde is one of the "better" kids out of the the group. I tried explaining it to a friend of mine and they found the idea odd.
> 
> Keep in mind that all of this will be entirely headcanon-based, though, so stuff like that will probably be coming more into play soon.
> 
> But, thank you for all the kudos, comments, and subscriptions that I've received on this story so far! They really help to motivate me!
> 
> Next chapter will be heavily centered around the Craig/Clyde situation
> 
>  
> 
> [Feel free to ask me any questions!](https://crybaby--clyde.tumblr.com/ask)


End file.
